Author's notes

This story has violence, swearing, homophobia, rape, suggestive scenes. It's rated MA. This is entirely based on Rosalie's human life leading up to her death. Most scenes are light and mundane. So enjoy!

Chapter 1

I grew up with the clear meaning that love was finding a man and having his children. There were no alternatives because any other alternatives were wrong and disgusting. And I had to agree with that to an extent, I mean I thought the perfect love was finding a gorgeous man and having his beautiful children like the stories all stay but people are nasty and vicious if given an opportunity or a reason.

Sometimes people are nasty in general, they put up a mask of kindness, but they end up breaking your heart any way. I can't say this to everyone because there are those who are kind-hearted, who love you truly and unconditionally and those people are right under our noses.

Tonight, the girls and I were working at the local hospital that we volunteered because it was something to do, and some books say that work place romances began that way. I was in ward 3, re-bandaging Mr Yorks arm again. For the ninth time he reopened his stitches and the bandage was soiled by his blood. Apart from being a klutz, Mr Yorks was a nice old man even if he forgot I was merely seventeen and couldn't marry a sixty year old man.

"Miss Hale, we have a new volunteer, please show her the ropes, I must attend to a soldier." Sister Frances ordered from the doorway. I looked over and I felt as if the whole room stopped. A girl about my age with long fiery hair and amber eyes smiled. I smiled back then turned back to Mr Yorks, "That should be you, I will come by later."

"Please do, Miss," He smiled warmly and I turned around. I walked over to the girl who smiled wider as I approached.

"Gabrielle." She said and I took her hand.

"Rosalie."

"What needs to be done?" She asked with a small smirk. I shook off my moment of awe and led the way to ward 7.

"We have to feed the soldiers and change necessary bedding." I explained, "But Ward 7 has to be cleaned."

"How bad is it?" She asked

"You'll see." I opened the double doors and politely gagged at the smell of urine and faeces that clung to the bedding where old soldiers lay.

Ward 7 was renounced for being the Horror ward, it was mostly to do with the fact that the worst patients were kept here for rest and recuperation. I never saw this ward horrific but disgusting and unhygienic.

"Bloody hell." Gabrielle muttered and I spun around shocked, "What? What did I say?"

"You swore!" I pointed out and she smiled suddenly.

"Surely, soldiers have sworn worse than that?" Gabrielle rolled her eyes, "Besides, what could happen to me?"

"You could go to Hell!" I pointed out but she just laughed.

"I hope I do, beats being in here." She looked at me smiling and it made me smile.

"We better get this cleaned." I grabbed the trolley of cleaning products that sat outside and the both of us got stuck into the work.

Gabrielle and I gagged as we rolled up soiled bedsheets, we bagged them and one of us made trips down to the incinerator. Once the beds were cleaned up and the bedsheets were replaced, we cleaned the floors and the walls, taking off layers of dirt and dust. By the time we had finished, ward 7 was the cleanest of all the wards in the hospital but it didn't last long because nurses began inhabiting the beds with wounded soldiers.

Gabrielle looked at me with an annoyed look but I merely shrugged. The two of us pushed the trolley out the room and walk into a storage closet. Each floor had at least one that stocked up bandages and stitches. I passed them out to Gabrielle and the both of us went back in. I went across to one of the soldiers as Gabrielle took the other which lay up the back.

My soldier had his face buried in the crook of his arm with his other arm bleeding all over the sheets. I gasped, the man had his entire arm blown off from his elbow. I froze at his state. He wasn't making a sound and I wasn't used to it, I was used to the screaming murder but not this man.

"I'll do it." Gabrielle sat me on a chair beside the bed as she tended to the man in the bed. I shook my head and got to my feet, I left the room and went out to the other wards I was assigned too.

...

I took my break out in the courtyard that sat between wards 2 and 1. The courtyard is beautiful, rose bushes ran around the perimeter with a gorgeous fountain installed in the centre and small squares of grass placed on each side to complete a square.

I sat on a stone bench on the third square if you were counting anti-clockwise. I had my sandwiches beside me with my bottle of water, at this time people were too exhausted to stay any longer so this courtyard was hardly ever used.

"Rosalie?" I turned as Gabrielle walked down the path, "Are you okay, you froze in ward 7 and I couldn't find you the rest of the day."

"I am okay now." I smiled, moving my lunch so she could sit down, "How was it?"

She let out a breath, "Taxing."

I nodded, "Some days are better than others."

"I really don't want to think about that." Gabrielle said, "Can we talk of something else?"

"Sure, where do you live?" I asked and she smiled a little.

"Centre of Rochester, the apartments. What about you?" Gabrielle asked

"Slightly outside of Rochester," I said

"Are you sure everything is okay?" Gabrielle asked, she looked at me with concern. It made me feel…somewhat different to when other people asking me if everything was okay.

"I don't know." I relented, "I can't explain it. Are you okay?"

"I feel the exact same way." She smirked with a little sadness.

We remained quite after that but it was short lived when Gabrielle handed me a small slip of paper. I opened it, apartment 7B, if you like?

"If things get too much, I am always open." Gabrielle explained and I smiled wider.

"I think I might." We laughed as Gabrielle said, "I must get back to work, I'll see you soon."

"Yes." I watched as she headed back inside. That was the start of our friendship because the next day I met her in town. It was my day off and my family were having a party for all the soldiers in town.

I was flicking through racks of silk gowns when the door chimed. I looked up, curiously and saw Gabrielle walk in, my breath caught in my throat as I saw what she wore. The dress she wore was a stale blue, she looked nothing like the angel I met at the hospital. I could feel disappointment in my heart, I didn't mean to feel it but what I have seen what I am seeing were two different people.

It didn't matter though she looked up and smiled slightly. Her eyes looked like pits of pain, under her gorgeous blue eyes were dark bags as if she hadn't slept at all. My concern outweighed my disappointment.

"Gabrielle, are you well?" I asked but she merely nodded and said, "yes."

"You look as if you haven't slept." I insisted

"I am fine, Rosalie." She told me sternly but me being me I couldn't take that for an answer.

"My family are having a party and I would like if you attended it." I said, and I watched as something flashed in her eyes.

"Is that the Governor's ball?" Gabrielle asked, and I looked at her perplexed, "My mother received an invitation."

"So, will you be joining us?" I asked slightly surprised

"That might be a problem, all my good dresses are ruined hence why I wear this sorry excuse for a dress." Gabrielle said, and I smiled.

"Then it is settled, we will make a day of it, I will buy your outfits and you will repay me by coming to the ball." I said, and she gave me a small smile.

"Okay." She said and I, stupidly, squealed. I linked my arm through hers and dragged her over to the gowns, I was looking through before she arrived.

By the end of our day together, I had purchased ten gowns for myself and fifteen for Gabrielle along with coats and hats and several pairs of shoes. I didn't mind spending so much money on her because it was worth it, she was worth it.

I learned so much about her. I learnt that she had a mother, father and brother, her father and brother were fighting in the war against Germany. Her mother was working at a munitions and had persuaded Gabrielle to work in the hospital. She told me that she had a bit of a sweet tooth and loved getting cakes from Mrs Dixon's cake shop just around the corner from her flats. All these trivial things made her so much more interesting. I found myself wanting to know about the kinds of dinners she liked or what she did as a child.

We sat in a café, a street away from where we had shopped for shoes. We sat under a small umbrella outside, Gabrielle had her tea cup poised between her slender fingers, ready to drink. I wouldn't dare admit that my heart caught several times and my eye caught cute, little things of her mannerisms.

These feelings I was having were something I couldn't dwell on, there was so many things against us. She was at least middle class maybe even working class, she sometimes acted vulgar and crass and I know my mother would never approve but the worst of it is Gabrielle is a woman. It was illegal to be seen being affectionate with your own gender because they could have you arrested for being homosexual which I was not.

"You seem conflicted." Gabrielle said, she placed her cup down and looked at me with endless blue eyes.

"Just thinking." I said taking a sip of tea.

"Are you sure everything is okay?" she asked, she reached over and squeezed my hand. I tried so hard to keep my eyes locked on hers but the way her hand rested on mine, I couldn't think, I was shaking with unrest.

"Perfect." I smiled which gave a small squeeze and pulled away.

We continued with our tea adding a few passing thoughts and making small conversation. It was then that we departed, she gave me a small smile and I watched as she left the café, as I waited for my car to arrive.